Knitted stocking and method of producing it



jam 2% R. W. SCOTT v KNITTED STOCKING AND METHOD OF PRODUCING IT Filed Nov. 22, 1923 INVENTOR Babe/ 2 Wfikmtt BY k/WM ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 27, 1925.

UNITED STATES ROBERT W. SC OTT, OF BABYLON, NEW

INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A

KNITTED STOCKING AND YORK, ASSIGNOR TO SCOTT AND WILLIAMS, CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF PRODUCING IT.

Application filed November 22, 1923. Serial No. 676,368.

To all whom it may concern: I I

Be it known that I, RonnR'r W. Soon, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Babylon, in the county of vSuffolk and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Knitted Stocking and Method of Producing It.

My invention relates more particularly to circular knit stockings in which a portion is reenforced by the insertion of an additional thread, and the invention is especially of value in connection with the formation of What is commonly called the high splice above the heel of the stocking.

In the knitting of such a re-enforced portion on a circular knitting machine by continuous circular motion of the machine, as is common, the body thread is fed to all the needles, 'while the one re-enforcing thread is fed to only some, say half, of the complete circle of needles and is usually floated across within the knitted tube from one edge to the other of the re-enforced portion, the float being afterwards cut by hand. In some instances the cutting is done automatically in the machine. In either case, there are left out ends of the splicing thread which in sheer fabrics will stray beyond the edges of the thickened ortion and will there show through the stoc ing to some extent giving an undesirably irregular appearance to the edges of the re-enforce.

To overcome this difficulty, I construct the stocking with the ends of the re-enforcing thread bent or turned back and caught into the re-enforced portion of the knitted fabric, so that the cut ends are always hidden under this thickened portion of the knit fabric.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a. side View of sufficient of a stocking to illustrate the location of the high splice;

Fig. 2 is a diagram in perspective to illustrate the manner in which my improvement may be carried into effect;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan View. 7

Referring to Fig. 1, I have indicated at H the manner and location of the re-enforcement of the stocking above the heel to form what is commonly termed the high splice.

In plain knitting of stockings on circular knitting machines, the more usual plan is to knit from top to toe, although of course, the reverse direction may be followed, if

desired. In knitting from top to toe, it is customary when the point is reached, where the high splice re-enforcing thread is to be knitted in with the body thread, as at the line a, Fig. 1, to provide means to throw the splicing thread-feeding finger into position to feed the splicing thread to certain of the needles, usually about half of the circle of needles, the remainder of the circle of needles taking only the body thread. This may be effected either by throwing the splicing thread. finger into and out of feeding position during each revolution of the knitting head or by the action of cams upon the different lengths of needle butts into which the needles are grouped, or both means may be employed together. In either case, the unknitted portion of the re-enforcing thread is floated across the interior of the knitted tube from one edge of the reenforced area to the other, and afterwards cut by hand or else the re-enforcing thread is automatically cut in the machine at each course. In eithercase, there is left a cut end at each end of each course, and as already pointed out these out ends are apt to show through the knitted fabric at the edges of the re-enforce and to ve an u11- desirable irregular edge, especially when the stocking is of the sheer fabric character frequently desired by wearers.

To prevent this undesirable appearance of the cut ends through the mesh of the fabric, I cause these loose 'or floating ends to be thrown back and caught into the re-enforced area in wales adjacent to the edges of that spliced area.

In Figs 2 and 3 I have indicated how this may be done in the circular knittlng machine. 1 Fig. 2 illustrates this action at what may be termed the incoming side of the reenforced area H of the stocking. In this figure the unre-enforced portion of the stocking is indicated at a. The needle cylinder is indicated at C and the-needles at n. The portion of the circle of needles indicated is at the knitting wave. At f I have indicated the portions of the reenforcingthread which are not knitted in, but are floated across in the interior of the knitted tube from one edge of the re-enforced' area to.

the other edge. As a convenient Way of causing these floats to be bent or turned back and caught into wales of the reenforced area adjacent to the f in Fig. 3.

may be provided at the outgoing side ofthe edges of the latter, I may provide a swinging hook F, which at the appropriate moment is caused to vibrate over from the sition indicated by full lines within the circle of needles to the position indicated by dotted lines with its hooked end just outside the circle of needles. In this movement the hook F will catch the new float f and cause it to engage one or more of the needles forming a wale or wales adjacent to the edge of the re-enforced area. What will become the cut end of the float f will thus be bent back and caught into the thickened area of the high splice as indicated in Fig. 2 and A similar mode of operation re-enforced area and the portion of the floats thus left between these points f f may be cut away as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3. I I do not wish to limitmyself to any particular mechanism for carrying out the proc ess described. Such mechamsm will form the. subject of a separate application ,for patent. V

I claim as my invention: I 1.. As a new article of manufacture, a

knitting oi the re-enforced area.

3. As a new'article of manufacture a circular knit stocking having a re-enorced area with the cut ends of the reenforce thread bent back and caught into wales of the re-enfo'rced area adjacent to the edges of the latter.

- 4. The improved process of the circular knitting of stockings consisting in feeding a bod thread to the circle of needles and a re-en orcing thread to only some of those needles to knit a re-enforced area in' the fabric, and causing floating ortions of the 're-enforcing thread to be nt back and caught into the re-enforced area of the knit- 50 In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ROBERT" W. SCOTT. 

